Summary
The Los Angeles Lakers will not have Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves available for their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. Both players are dealing with serious injuries that will keep them out for the entire series, significantly changing the team's chances.
Key Facts
- Luka Dončić has a Grade 2 hamstring strain and traveled to Europe for special treatment.
- Austin Reaves has a Grade 2 oblique strain and is expected to be out for 4–6 weeks.
- Neither player is expected to return during the first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
- Dončić led the NBA with an average of 33.5 points per game this season.
- Without these two players, the Lakers will rely heavily on LeBron James, who is 41 years old and recently had his lowest scoring season.
- The Houston Rockets are now favored to win the series, especially the first game.
- The Lakers were originally the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference before these injuries.
